The other miss Granger
by Megzthewriter
Summary: Hermione finds out she has a sister, a half veela to be exact. Best friends of Fleur Delacour. She and Hermione meet during the triwizard tournament. During the war who will she fall in love with? OC/ ?  Vote inside rating could go up.
1. Chapter 1

**The other miss Granger.**

**Summary: Hermione finds out she has a sister, a half veela to be exact. Best friends of Fleur Delacour. She and Hermione meet during the triwizard tournament. During the war who will she fall in love with?**

**Chapter 1:**

Hermione Granger was packing her trunk when her mother came into her room, tears running down her face.

"Mum! What's wrong? Did someone die?" Hermione quickly asked her mum. Her mum was pretty. Hermione had inherited her mothers hair mousy brown curly hair, her mother told her as she gets older it won't be as bushy any more.

"Hermione he never told me! He said he never knew!" she sobbed, sitting down on Hermione's bed.

"Mum what's going on?" Hermione asked her. She was worried, she had never seen her mother like this before.

"Ask your lying bastard of a father!" she said loudly. Hermione was shocked she had never heard her mother swear. And especially never calling anybody names. Sure she would call Mrs Jenkins our neighbour a horrible and crude woman but that was it.

"Mum-" Hermione began but was cut of by her mother sobbing louder than before.

Hermione comforted her mother until she fell asleep in her bed. She then went looking for her father.

She found him downstairs, in the kitchen sitting at the dinner table. On the dinner table was a bottle of whiskey, a glass and a few papers were scattered in front of him. She looked over her father, her father was tall and was once a very handsome young man. He had short jet black hair and chocolate brown eyes, the only thing Hermione had inherited from her father.

"Daddy?" she asked loudly. Her father was staring at something closely. He looked up at her sadly.

"I suppose you hate me to now Hermione?" he whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't even know what's going on.." Hermione said sadly. Were her parents splitting up? Did her father cheat on her mother? All these kind of thoughts were passing through her head.

"Look at this Hermione." he said handing her something, she looked at it. It was a picture. On the picture was her father when he was young, smiling brightly his arm wrapped around the shoulders of the most beautiful young woman she had ever seen, her hair was platinum blonde in lose curls and she had strange purple eyes with swirls of blue in them. They were so bright and so beautiful.

"Who is she?" Hermione asked her dad.

"Marie Defontaine." he stated.

"Why do you have a picture of her?" she asked him not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"She was my first love." he stated simply.

"Why is mum so upset then? After all it was a long time ago." Hermione said, not understanding what was going on.

"I received a letter. It said she died." he said handing her a letter.

"But daddy the post came this morning and there wasn't any letters addressed to you apart from the gas bill." she said, confused again.

"An owl brought it." he said, taking a drink of his glass.

"But why is mum so upset?" Hermione asked again. He sighed.

"Just read it Hermione." he said to her, poring himself another glass of whiskey. Hermione unfolded the piece of parchment. She could tell that it was wrote by a woman, the neat perfect script was wich was on the parchment.

_Dear Edward. _

_Let me just say I am dead. I told one of my house elves to send this to you the day I die. _

_I know this is selfish of me, sending you a letter after you not hearing a single word from me in nearly 17 years. _

_But I thought you had the right to know. I left that day because I found out something which was life changing. _

_I know you said you would love me for ever even after you found out what I was. But I couldn't bring myself to drag you into my world, where at the time was in war._

_And if I had told you one of the reasons it would of made you stay and be apart of my world. So I did the only thing I could. I ran. _

_I have never stopped loving you and I will still love you in the after life._

_After all you gave me the best gift I could ever receive. When I left you, I was pregnant._

_We have a daughter. Her name is Jolie I picked it because that was the first thing you ever said to me. _

_She is so much like you, she is smart, caring, warm-hearted, sweet and has an amazing sense of humour. _

_It is a great wish of mine that she stays with you after my death. But you have probably got your own family and do not wish to have anything to do with her. _

_She goes to a magical school in France called Beauxbaton. She is going to start her seventh and last year this year. Even though she should only be in her sixth._

_She is a very smart witch and is the top of all her classes. Maybe next summer she could spend it with you and your family. _

_Her name is Jolie Defontaine I couldn't give her your name because they would of known her father was a muggle (A non magical person.) and I couldn't let her grow up being known as the halfbreed with a muggle father. _

_I will always love you. _

_Marie Defontaine. _

After reading I opened my mouth 3 times trying to speak. My dad had another daughter. I had a half sister who was also a witch and she went to a magical school. The famous one in France, Beauxbatons.

"I'm sorry Hermione." he whispered. I looked at him, it wasn't his fault. He never knew.

"It's not your fault dad. I'm just not sure I'll be able to leave in 2 days now." she told him truthfully.

He shook his head.

"Go enjoy your youth, darling. I'm going to bed." he said, getting up and kissed me on the forehead.

Hermione looked at the photo of her father and Marie, the mother of her sister. Her sister must be very beautiful. Hermione thought to herself. Marie must have been a witch, she said she didn't want her father pulled into her world, the world were Hermione lived.

I've always wanted a brother or sister. I never enjoyed being an only child. Hermione mused to herself. Hermione cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and went upstairs to get ready for bed.

I wonder what Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasley's will think.

**So what do you think? **

**I'm already starting chapter 5 if you are interested. **

**So I don't know who the sister should end up with it's up to you. **

**George Weasley.**

**Fred Weasley.**

**Charlie Weasley. **

**Oliver Wood. **

**Viktor Krum **

**Or someone else they just have to be on the good guys side. **

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 2:**

Hermione Granger was saying goodbye to her father. Her mother had decided she needed time to think so she went to visit her cousin in Spain for a few weeks.

"I'll miss you honey." Edward Granger said, kissing her on her forehead.

"I'll miss you to daddy. Please try to sort everything out with mum." she said squeezing her fathers hand. He nodded.

"I'll try my best." he told her.

"Now go on before your late. I've got an appointment with the little bugger that took a bite out of me last time I saw him." he said, chuckling. Hermione smiled and walked towards the fireplace.

"Bye daddy." she said, pulling out some floo powder.

"The Burrow!" she shouted throwing the floo powder down and disappearing into the green flames.

She was immediately hugged by Mrs Weasley.

"Hermione how are you dear?" she asked her.

"I'm fine thank you Mrs Weasley." she said politely.

"How has your summer been dear?" Mrs Wealsy asked, smiling brightly. Hermione thought about what to say,

"Eventful" was all she could say. Mrs Weasley gave her a look.

"I found out that I have a half sister. I'll tell you more later." she told her. Mrs Weasley eyes widened and nodded.

"Of course dear. Could you go wake the boys and Ginny up and tell them breakfast is nearly ready?" she asked. Hermione nodded and headed up stairs she knocked on the first door. Which happened to be Percy's. He opened the door and only stuck out his head. He looked surprised to see her.

"Oh Good morning Hermione. I hope you had a pleasant Summer?" he asked politely. She nodded.

"It was Eventful. Your mother says breakfast will be ready soon." she told him before knocking on the next door. An unfamiliar man opened the door. He was tall, well built, very handsome with short red hair and navy blue eyes. Hermione blushed when she saw he was topless with his pyjama pants low on his hips. He had a shiny burn on his left arm, on his right shoulder and top part of his arm were black tribal marks. So she guessed this was the famous Charlie Weasley. He grinned at her.

"So you must be the one and only Hermione Granger?" he asked her grinning. She nodded.

"I'm charlie." he said holding out a hand. His hand was rough and she could feel the blisters which were healing.

"It's nice to meet you. You mother says breakfast is nearly ready." she told him. He nodded.

"Thanks Hermione." he said, she smiled and walked to the next door and knocked. The door opened and Hermione guessed this one was Bill. He didn't look anything like she thought he would. He was the same height as Charlie but was a bit skinny unlike Charlie who was well built. He had long red hair pulled back into a low ponytail and some sort of fang as an earring.

"Hermione right?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I'm Bill but you probably already guessed that. Any way it's nice to meet you." he said and shook her hand and smiled.

"Nice to meet you to." she said, smiling.

"I guess mum sent you up because breakfast is nearly ready?" he asked. She nodded.

"thanks then." he said and headed down the stairs towards the kitchen.

Hermione knocked on the next door.

"Hermione!" said one of the twins as he opened the door. Hermione noticed this one was George. He looked slightly taller than the other.

"How was your summer?" they asked her. She smiled. She missed the way they talked.

"Eventful." she said for the third time that day.

"Toffee?" Fred said holding out a sweet to her. Hermione looked at it closely, Ginny had already warned her in one of her letters about the twins candy.

"No thank you." she said politely and shaking her head. The twins both looked disappointed.

"Breakfast will be ready soon." Hermione said before turning towards Ron's room. She knocked. No answer apart from loud snores. She opened the door and went straight to the bed. She shook him. He woke up startled.

"Bloody hell Hermione!" he said pulling the covers up over himself.

"Honestly Ronald get up. Your mother has breakfast ready. Don't even think about going back to sleep."she said and walked straight out the door and towards Ginny's room. She knocked.

"Come in." she heard her say softly. Hermione opened the door and closed it quietly behind her.

"Hey mione." Ginny said and hugged her.

"How was your summer?" Ginny asked her. She shrugged and said Eventful once again.

"What happened?" she asked her. Hermione couldn't hold it in any more so she told her friend everything.

"Wow! You have a sister! That's a good thing." Ginny said and hugged me again.

"It is isn't it?" She just realised it was. She wouldn't have no family in her world any more. She had a sister who was witch she wasn't alone any more.

"Come on lets go, breakfast is nearly ready." Hermione said pulling Ginny out the door.

The rest of the holidays passed perfectly, Harry had came to the burrow and they had all went to the Quidditch world cup.

"Tomorrow we're heading back to Hogwarts." Ginny said sitting down at the table for breakfast.

"And the day after Charlie and Bill are leaving to." Mrs Weasley said sadly. Just then a fancy black owl flew through the window and landed on one of the kitchen counters. Charlie got up and took the letter from it, giving the owl a piece of crust from his toast.

"It's for Hermione." he said, handing her the letter.

"Do you recognise the owl, mione?" Harry asked her, she shook her head. She looked at the letter. On the envelope was her name written in perfect, elegant and neat writing. Curiosity got the better out of her so she opened the letter.

_Hermione Granger_

_I wasn't sure you would like to receive this letter or if you would ever want to hear from me._

_But your my only family member that lives in the world I live in._

_My name is Jolie Defontaine. I'm your sister well half sister. I would love to get to know you. _

_I'm 16 and going into my seventh and last year at Beauxbaton. For some personal reasons I started a year earlier than others. So even though I'm supposed to be going into my sixth I will be entering my seventh and last year. _

_I was thinking that maybe next summer we could get together and either spend a week or two in my home in France if you would be up to it. But for the timing being we may talk to each other through letters. _

_You do not have to reply if you do not wish to. _

_With love from,_

_Jolie Rose Defontaine_

Hermione read the letter out loud. And then Ginny spit her eggs all over the table and was looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"Are you going to send her a letter?" Ginny asked her, ignoring her mother. Hermione thought it over for a second then nodded.

"Yeah I am." she said. Mrs Weasley smiled.

"Maybe you could invite her to stay over when you come next summer so we can all get to know her." Mrs Weasley said, beaming. She was probably thinking is was a chance to have another girl in the burrow or thinking about setting her up with one of her sons. Hermione could see her eyeing Bill, Charlie, Percy and the twins.

"Yes that would be nice Mrs Weasley." she said politely.

"Now Everyone go pack while I clean the kitchen up." Mrs Weasley said shooing everyone out of the kitchen.

"Hogwarts tomorrow, more people to test the toffees on." the Twins said grinning at each other.

Hopefully it will be a normal year Hermione thought to herself. Yeah right like that's ever going to happen.

**Thanks for the reviews! **

**Two people have voted for Charlie and Oliver. **

**Charlie Weasley: 2**

**Oliver Wood: 2**

**You can still vote for whoever else you wish to end up with Miss Defontaine aka Jolie!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 3:**

"See that you got caught in Peeves water balloons?" the twins said looking at their younger brother. Ron blushed a deep red.

"How come he never annoys you guys?" he asked sitting down at the Gryffindor table in the great hall with his two best friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

"He respects us." the twins said, grinning.

"Good evening," said Headless Nick the Gryffindor ghost, beaming at them.

"Says who?" said Harry, taking off his shoes and emptying them of water.

"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving." Ron said, looking at the plate in front of him.

"Hiya, Harry!"

It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero.

"Hi, Colin," said Harry warily.

"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"

"Er - good," said Harry.

"He's really excited!" said Colin, practically bouncing up and down. Then he went on about how he hoped his brother would be in Gryffindor to. Hermione wasn't really paying attention. She smiled at Ginny as she sat in front of her.

After the sorting and dinner where Hermione found out that they had house elves in Hogwarts to tell you the truth she wasn't really happy.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden

inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped. Hermione looked at the members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. She would of laughed at the situation but by the looks of her friends face they would never talk to her again if she did. Dumbhedore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any over Hermione had ever seen.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to

help this morning?"

"Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered to her friends. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him

"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the

Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.

But Hermione didn't hear a word what they were saying, she blanked out. She had read about this tournament. It consisted of three of Europe's best schools, Hogwarts, Drumstrang and of course Beauxbaton, where her own sister was. Would her sister come to Hogwarts? That means she would meet her sooner than originally planned. This frightened her slightly.

"-Death-toll" hearing these words Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and whispered anxiously "Death-toll?" but no one seem to care about the deaths that had happened because of this tournament and only cared about hearing more about the tournament.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed

contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

After that many people said they were going to sign up and try to be selected as the Hogwarts champion. Until Dumbledore said that they had all decided that you had to be 17 or over. This caused many to shout in protest.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

With that they all left the hall.

"Hemrione your sister could be one of the select few coming!" Ginny said to her. Herione nodded.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" she asked her trying to get her to open up about how she felt about having her sister here.

"I suppose." she said. Ginny frowned at her friend, Ginny would have been so happy to have an older sister instead all she got was 6 older brothers.

Before falling asleep that night Hermione hoped her sister would come, realising that Ginny was right. She would be able to get to know her sister for real instead of through letters.

Hermione smiled at the thought of having an older sister who was a witch. It would be nice, very nice.

**I've decided I'll post this. Because the weather forecast said it's going to snow. So I thought I'll have more time to write so to be nice to my lovely readers I'll post chapter 3. **

**So here's the votes so far (Even if you voted once, you can do it again.) :**

**Charlie Weasley: 4 votes! **

**Oliver Wood: 3 votes!**

**And Sirius Black has one! **

**You can still vote for anybody else. You could even vote for Dumbledore if you liked! **

**Thanks for reading! **

**I'll update soon. I've just finished chapter 6!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 4:**

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines. "Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair." Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.

"Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front. . . no pushing.. ."

They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row.

"Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that

led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," said Hermione.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

"I don't think so. . . not from that far away.. ." Hemrione said. She to was wondering how their guests would arrive.

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate maybe you're allowed to

do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell

you?" said Hermione impatiently, she was fed up with him never listening to her. Sometimes she just wanted to slap him.

Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers - "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest. Something large, much larger than a broomstick - or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks - was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid. . . it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

Dennis's guess was closer. As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

Hermione watched impatiently as a boy fumbled around fixing the steps.

Hermione saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - a shoe the size of a child's sled. Followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped. This woman was diffidently had giant blood in here. Hermione clapped with everyone else, ignoring what was being said. Trying to get a look into the carriage to see her sister. But then it struck Hermione, she had no clue what she looked like!

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

Hermione looked at the pupils from Beauxbaton, a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes

seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads .Most of them were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

Hermione ignored the talking yet again. Trying to spot one of these girls that might be her sister, but most were hidden under there shawls wrapped around there heads.

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!" Snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was

suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. . What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool.

"It's a mast!" Harry said to Ron and Hermione.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

Hermione saw all the boys getting of the boat. Well they weren't really boys, they were men unlike most of the young boys who ran around Hogwarts. They were all tall. And bulky probably due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur.

Hermione was more busy examining the boat when Ron pulled her out of her own mind.

"Harry! It's Krum!" he said like a 4 year old on Christmas morning. Hermione rolled her eyes. Deciding to ignore him and his childish fascination.

"Did you see her Mione?" Ginny asked her. She sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know what she even looks like. So I don't know." She told her red headed friend truthfully.

"We'll help you look. Won't we Ron?" Harry said. He waited for Ron to back him up but he never did so he looked over at his friend only for him to still be staring at Viktor Krum with some weird adoration and elbowed him in the arm.

"OW! What was that for?" he asked Harry, rubbing his arm where his friend had hit him.

"I said we'll help Hermione find her sister won't we?" Harry repeated. Ron gave him a confused look until realisation washed over his face.

"Oh yeah sure." he mumbled before going back to stare at Krum.

**Thanks everyone for the amazing reviews! **

**So here are the polls so far!**

**Charlie Weasley: 5**

**Oliver Wood: 4**

**Sirius Black: 2**

**and Harry Potter: 1 **

**Keep on voting and put in the reason why you want them to be the other character! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 5**

"I don't believe it!" Ron said, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. "Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"

"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," said Hermione.

"Only a Quidditch player?" Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe

his ears. "Hermione - he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he

was still at school!" He was really starting to get on her nerves. There were more important things than a grumpy Quidditch player. Like looking for her own sister.

"Who cares Ron! Honestly there are much more important things!" She hissed at him. But he just ignored her. As they walked to the great hall she heard many silly people fussing about Viktor Krum just like Ron. She couldn't help but say a few words of sarcasm as she passed by these people.

They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Most of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

"It's not that cold," said Hermione defensively. Annoyed that she couldn't see their faces. After all she wanted to try and pick up which one was her sister.

"Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

"Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed, interrupting my thoughts. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space -"

"What?"

"Too late," said Ron bitterly.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table. You could see Draco Malfoy sucking up to Viktor Krum. Hermione couldn't help but shake her head. He is only a Quidditch play for Merlin's sake!

"Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy," said Ron scathingly. "I bet Krum can see right through him, though. . . bet he gets people fawning over him all the time.. . . Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry. . . I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed." Hermione snorted at his silly behaviour. All she wanted to say was Grow up!

"They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," said Harry. The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed. Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion.

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed , however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head unlike most of the others who had removed theirs gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh. Hermione noticed a girl with her back to Hermione and her friends, with jet black hair in neat lose curls pull of the muffler to show brown hair. She bowed her head slightly as if the other girl was of higher rank of some sort.

"No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at the girl who just had her muffler removed.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore.

"I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" then he sat down still smiling. The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them most of them she had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

"What's that?" said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.

"Bouillabaisse," said Hermione.

"Bless you," said Ron. She rolled her eyes.

"It's French," said Hermione, "I had it on holiday summer before last. It's very nice."

"I'll take your word for it," said Ron, helping himself to black pudding. Hermione glared at him slightly. He should at least try it.

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred.

Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.

"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called.

"Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily.

"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."

At that moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"

It was the girl from Beauxbatons. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth. Ron went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise. Hermione rolled her eyes at his yet again silly behaviour.

"Yeah, have it," said Harry, pushing the dish toward the girl.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?"

"Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."

The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table beside the girl with jet black hair. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to snap Ron back to his senses.

"She's a veela!" he said hoarsely to Harry.

"Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"

But she wasn't entirely right about that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her.

"They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," said Harry obviously looking at Cho who happened

to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery hair.

"When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly rolling her eyes at both of her friends behaviour, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived."

She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime.

"What are they doing here?" said Harry in surprise.

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar desserts too. Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table. The girl who looked like a veela appeared to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get it.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Several seats down from them, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration. Probably trying to scheme a way to become Hogwarts champion. And then there was some thing said about the tournament and what not. Hermione didn't really pay attention. Looking at the Ravenclaw table where the students from Beauxbaton were sitting. Any of these girls could be her sister.

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

He then went on went on about who if you weren't prepared for the dangers not to enter. Hermione had zoomed out. "Now of to bed."

"An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing - it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione,

"we just haven't learned enough. . ."

"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"

Hermione glared at her friend, she didn't wanted her friend in any more danger.

"Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?" Hermione now turned and glared at her other friend. But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.

"Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Harry saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. "Professor, Ivood

like some vine," said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.

"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air

vanishing in an instant. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your

robes again, disgusting boy -"Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped to let him walk through first.

"Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at him. And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar.

The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead. Then Moody came and rescued them.

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Charlie Weasely: 8 votes**

**Oliver Wood: 6 votes**

**Sirius Black: 6 votes**

**George Weasley: 2 votes**

**Harry Potter: 2 **

**And Severus Snape: 10 votes so Snape wins! ONLY joking. Snape has no votes and the voting isn't finished yet.**

**So here's some answers to the reviews!**

**Readergirl99: Thanks for you review. Yes Oliver is obsessed with Quidditch. But don't you think it would cause some drama between him and Jolie?**

**OC-Lover: Thanks! Charlie doesn't have to leave. **

**Miss Malfoy-Mellark: Thanks for your review. :) **

**Amyb11: Thank you for all the reviews. Yes I think there will be some chapters in Jolie's POV. And I guess you really like Charlie. Its a shame there aren't more Charlie/OC stories.**

**Ashrachellexx: Thanks for the reviews. To tell you the truth I don't think Jolie and Harry would be right for each other. But after this story I might write a Harry/OC story. I've been thinking of a plot. :)**

**Cathie Cathie: Thanks for the review. I'm not to sure if she'll play Quidditch, but she does like it. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 6:**

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked the closest girl near him, who was a third year.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me. . . wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?" Hermione agreed with Harry there.

Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older." Hermione shook her head, she knew this wasn't going to work.

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this." But Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then I'll go first"

The golden trio watched, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

For a split second Hermione had thought it worked George must have thought so to, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred. But next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards. The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours." Hermione smiled slightly at that. Their beards were identical to Dumbledore's one. Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast.

The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry.

"That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust.

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!"

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously.

"But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly, Hearing cheering.

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"

"You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.

"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.

"Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron. Hermione shook her head in amusement.

"It was my birthday last week," said Angelina.

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

"Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her.

"By the way Hermione some girls from Beauxbatons are asking around for you." Angelina told her, taking a piece of toast. Hermione eyes widened.

"Really! Who? What did they look like?" She asked her so quickly that Angelina probably hadn't caught half of it.

"There was a group of them, saying that their friend was looking for you. Do you know anyone from Beauxbatons?" Angelina asked her curiously.

"Yes well I don't know her personally but my half sister goes there." Hermione told her honestly. This got Dean and Seamus attention.

"You have a half sister that goes to Beauxbaton? How come you never told us before?" Seamus asked, looking slightly hurt.

"I just found out this summer." Hermione told them. They both nodded.

"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.

"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.

"Okay," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."

"Excuse me" Said a voice. The three friends turned around to see the Beauxbaton girl from the night before. Ron went purple upon seeing her.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, not sure wither she liked this girl that Ron claimed was a veela.

"You are in ze Gryffindor yes?" She asked looking at the crest on their robes. The three nodded.

"Are you in ze the fouth year?" the three just nodded, not sure why she was asking these questions. She smiled brightly at this.

"Then you must know a girl called Hermione Granger?" Harry and Ron immediately looked at Hermione.

"I'm Hermione Granger." she replied. The blonde haired girl smiled.

"I'm Fleur Delacour. I'm Jolie's best friend! We have been looking for you since last night!" she told her. Hermione's eyes widened. Her sister was here.

"Come, Come I bring you to zee Jolie!" She said and took Hermione's hand. Hermione looked back at Harry and Ron indicating for them to follow.

Fleur pulled her out into the grounds.

"Jolie!" she shouted. Hermione looked up and saw the back of the girl with the long black, lose curls from the night before her hair was past her waist now that she was standing up. But she still had her back to them and was talking to Draco Malfoy and his friends.

"Jolie!" Fleur said again as we were not even a foot away. She turned around. She heard her two best friends gasp. The girl was beautiful like the woman, Marie Defontaine who her dad used to date. She looked like a veela. She was quite pale and was tall around 5 foot 8 or 9, long legs, a tiny waist and a toned stomach and she had a perfect sized chest. Her body was just pure perfection. Hermione thought until she looked at her face. It was a beautiful heart shaped face, naturally dark pink lips, long thick black eyelashes framing the strange purple eyes with swirls of blue in them. They were so bright and so beautiful, just like her mothers.

She smiled brightly at Hermione, showing perfect even, pearly white teeth.

"Hermione?" She asked her. Hermione nodded, still looking at the beautiful young woman with wide eyes.

"I'm Jolie Defontaine." She said. Hermione broke out of her trance and smiled. Tears were forming in her eyes. Seeing her right in front of her made it all real. She wasn't alone in this magical world any more. She couldn't help but throw her arms around the older girl and hug her. Tears falling down her cheeks. Jolie bent down and hugged her to, Hermione could fell her hair getting slightly damp indicating that her older sister was crying to. Hermione pulled back and smiled at her, wiping her eyes embarrassed that she had cried. The other girl did the same.

"What is going on?" Blurted out Draco Malfoy. Hermione had forgotten they were there.

"Hermione is my sister." Jolie said, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulders protectively. It felt brilliant Hermione thought. Malfoy and his friends looked absolutely speechless and were looking between Hermione and Jolie. Jolie took her hand and pulled her back in to the great hall. Hermione looked at her two best friends. They were just looking at Jolie with wide eyes and their mouths hanging wide open.

"Jolie, These are my best friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter." She told her. Jolie smiled at them both witch just made Ron go bright purple.

"It's nice to meet you both." she said and kissed them both on the cheeks. Both looked like they were going to faint.

"Veela?" Ron squeaked out.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. Jolie laughed.

"Half Veela actually. My mother was a veela." Jolie told them honestly. The three best friends just looked up at her in awe.

"And you?" Ron squeaked looking at Fleur. Hermione noticed now that even though Fleur was stunningly beautiful, next to Jolie she looked slightly plain and less beautiful. Fleur giggled.

"Only a quarter." she told him. Ron nodded and gave Hermione a look saying that he was right before.

"Come meet some of my other friends." Hermione said to Jolie and led her over to the Gryffindor table. Were Seamus, Dean, Angelina and Lee were sitting.

"Hey guys. This is Jolie Defontaine and Fleur Delacour." she said getting her friends attention. All of them looking at wide eyes at the two girls from Beauxbatons, the boys especially at Jolie. Lee dropped the toast that was in his mouth.

"Hermione- i-is she yo-your sis-sister?" Seamus stuttered looking at Jolie. Hermione nodded.

"It's lovely to meet you all. And thank you all for being so nice to Hermione." she told them smiling. She then kissed all their cheeks even Angelina so did Fleur. All the boys were touching their cheeks. Jolie and Fleur sat down with the golden trio and their friends.

"Viktor Krum is looking our way." Ron whispered loudly. They all looked up at him. He indeed was staring.

"I met Viktor this summer actually." Jolie said in thought. Ron looked at her with wide eyes.

"Really?" he gushed. Jolie nodded, clearly amused.

"Yes I has with Francois. He is one of my closest friends he has now left Beauxbaton he was in seventh year last year. His father is minister of magic in France so he brought me to one of the Quidditch matches, it was Bulgaria against France. I met him then." she told him.

"Do you think you could get me an autograph?" Ron asked her. She smiled and giggled.

"I'll try." she told him.

The rest of the students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.

"I better go." Fleur said, getting up. Jolie got up to.

"Good luck Fleur." she said, kissing her cheeks.

"Come with me please?" Fleur said quietly. Jolie smiled and nodded.

"Your not entering Angelina asked her. She shook her head.

"No I am only 16." she told her. Angelina gave her a confused look.

"Then what you doing here? I thought only the 17 year old were coming."

"It's because I am head girl. And you see the way Headmaster from Drumstrang treat Krum? That is what me and Fleur are like to Madame Maxime, we are her prized students." she told her and left with Fleur. Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and

dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered

the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. Jolie stood beside Madame Maxime. Hermione saw that every male in the room had their eyes on Jolie. It was like the world cup all over again.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered to Harry as Fleur dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose... . Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"

When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names except Jolie, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.

"Where are they sleeping, then?" said Ron, moving toward the front doors and staring after them.

"I'm going to get my SPEW things be right back." Hermione said and ran out the entrance.

All the friends at the table turned and looked at each other.

"Are you sure she's Hermione sister?" Ron whispered loudly to Harry.

"Ron! That's a terrible thing to say!" Angelina scolded and glared at the younger boy. Ron gave her a look of confusion. Angelina muttered something under her breath about boys being stupid then got up to look for Katie Bell.

"She is stunning." Lee said, grinning.

"You've got no chance mate." Seamus said, grinning.

"Yeah, cause she'll be all over me." Dean said and winked at his friends. Harry and Ron shook their heads, grinning. They talked about Quidditch until a loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S. P. E.W. badges.

"Oh good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps. As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it.

Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.

"Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

"We've been really busy, Hag -" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words. Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches - perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm - where are the skrewts."

"Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're get-tin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."

"Oh no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it.

"Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."

"Well, that's lucky," said Ron. Hermione glared at him when she heard the sarcasm, but Hagrid must have missed it.

They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were.

"You wait," he said, grinning. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task. . . ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

"Go on, Hagrid!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.

"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"

They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much. After finding strange things in the food.

"Did Hermione tell you about her sister?" Harry suddenly asked Hagrid. Hagrid who had been drinking some tea spat it right out.

"You have a sister Hermione?" He asked looking at her. She nodded.

"Yes a half sister, I only found out this summer. She actually goes to Beauxbatons." Hermione told him. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Is she 17? cause if she is she must be here!" He said smiling at her. She grinned.

"She not 17, but she's here. She's head girl. She started school at 10 instead of 11 for some personal reasons." She told her giant friend.

"I'd love to meet her." Hagrid told her. She nodded and smiled.

"I'm sure she'll love to meet you to Hagrid."

"She beautiful." Ron blurted out. Hagrid looked at him curiously.

"She's half veela." Harry informed him. Hagrid nodded.

"She must be good with animals. They always are." Hagrid told them.

"Really?" Hermione asked curiously. Hagrid nodded.

After that, Hagrid and Hermione started arguing about house-elves and he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast - and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec." Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"

"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"

"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.

"Er - eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing.

"Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on..."

He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

"Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "Hagrid?"

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.

"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression the golden trio had only ever seen him wear once before - when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off upthe grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beaux-batons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.

"He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record - bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was

surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves,

they set off up the sloping lawns.

The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, and Harry and proceeded through them.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire

had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the

teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their

disappointment fairly well.

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"

"We heard about your sister. Its been spreading around the castle all afternoon." George said.

"Is it really the gorgeous black haired one?" Fred asked. Hermione nodded. Both the twins grinned.

"You'll have to introduce us to her later." they said and winked. Hermione shook her head and grinned.

"I'll think about it." She told them.

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, nobody didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, everyone simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I

estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A few people kept checking their watches. . .

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. They saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!" They say Fleur stand gracefully as did Jolie. They both hugged tightly and Jolie sat back down.

When Fleur too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next...

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No! " said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "Harry Potter."

**Thanks for the reviews! **

**Lets see how the votes are going!**

**Charlie Weasley: 11 Votes! **

**Oliver Wood: 7 Votes! **

**Sirius Black: 8 Votes! **

**George Weasley: 2 Votes!**

**Harry Potter: 2 votes! **

**I'll update as soon as I can! **


	7. Chapter 7

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 7:**

Jolie Defontaine sat silently and still like a sculpture in the great hall. Everybody was staring at Harry Potter, Her sister's best friend. Angry shouts were shouted about how he wasn't 17 yet or that he cheated.

She saw Harry speak to her sister and the red haired one Ron Weasley.

"Harry Potter! " Dumbledore shouted again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

She saw Hermione give Harry a little push, she could see the worry in her younger sisters eyes.

As Harry walked in between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table she noticed that everybody's eyes were on him. He looked slightly green. Poor boy.

She watched as Harry walked through the same door Viktor, Cedric and Fleur did.

"it is ridiculous!" Solene, one of the Beauxbatons students said speaking in french, she was clearly outraged.

"Jolie will you find out what is going on? You are head girl after all." Tiphaine asked me. I nodded.

"I will ask Madame Maxime." I told her. She smiled and thanked me.

"Jolie bring everyone back to the carriage please." she asked me in French.

"Of course Madame." I said and curtsied slightly.

"Follow me Beauxbaton!" I said loudly. All the Beauxbaton students followed me out to grounds. I shivered slightly when the cold air hit me.

"JOLIE!" I heard someone shout my name. I stopped, looking around I saw Hermione running towards me.

"Tomorrow will you have breakfast with me at the Gryffindor table?" she asked me. I nodded.

"It would be my pleasure." I told her smiling. I turned to face the rest of my school.

"This is my half sister, Hermione Granger. Please treat her nicely." I told the students from my school. They all bowed or curtsied. Hermione looked slightly overwhelmed.

"Hello." she squeaked.

"You better get back inside Hermione, it's dark." I told her. She nodded and rushed of back towards the castle.

"She seems lovely." Antoine a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes told me. I nodded.

"She is." I replied, walking towards the carriage.

I was in mine and Fleur's room waiting for her to return. I was sitting at my vanity table, brushing my hair and humming. When the door opened.

"Fleur!" I said standing up to greet her. She hugged me and I hugged her back.

"Can you believe their our four champions! It is the TRIwiward tournament not the fourwiward tournament." she huffed.

"And how did he even put his name in the goblet he isn't even 17!" she went on.

"I'm worried for him." I whispered. She looked at me curiously.

"Why? You barley know the boy?" she asked me. I shrugged.

"He is Hermione Best friend. Whatever he does I have no doubt that Hermione will follow. It could lead to her being killed!" I told her. She hugged me again.

"I'm sure little Harry will be fine." she told me. I tried to smile.

"I hope so." I muttered.

"I have photo shoot and interview tomorrow! You have to help me do my hair!" she said, changing the subject. I grinned.

"Of course, Fleur. I would be glad to help." I told. She grinned.

"Now I must get some beauty sleep or I will look even more than a troll next to you." she said, still grinning and winked. I laughed and shook my head.

"Good night Fleur." I said getting into my queen sized bed.

"Bonne nuit ma belle." she replied yawning. I grinned and fell to sleep.

The next morning I was heading down to the great hall earlier than anyone else to eat breakfast with Hermione. I was humming when I walked right into what felt like a brick wall. I was about to fall until I felt arms wrap around my waist, stopping me. I looked up only to meet bright grey eyes.

Startled I moved back.

"Sorry." I said, blushing. I looked up only to see Cedric Diggory one of the Hogwarts champions. He was extremely handsome, Tall with chiselled features, a straight nose, dark hair, and bright grey eyes. When he saw me I saw his eyes widen. I get that reaction from everyone.

"It's alright I should have been looking where I was going." he said and gave me a smile. I smiled back .

"Your Jolie Defontaine right?" he asked me. I nodded. He grinned.

"I thought so everybody's been saying how beautiful you are and you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen-" he stopped and covered his mouth with his hands. I blushed,

"Thank you." I said. He grinned and ran his right hand through his hair.

"I'm Cedric Diggory by the way." he said.

"It's nice to meet you." I said and kissed his cheek. Before walking into the great hall. I looked back to see him holding his cheek, grinning. I smiled.

"Good morning Hermione." I said and sat down beside her. She looked up and smiled at me.

"Morning." she replied. I took a croissant and poured myself a cup of tea.

"What do you do on sunday's?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"My homework and I go to the library." she told me.

"You will have to show me the library. I love reading." I told her. If it was possible, her smile widened.

"You love reading to? What's your favourite subjects?" she asked me. I grinned.

"I enjoy Potions, Transfiguration, defence against the dark arts, care of magical creatures and ancient runes." I told her.

"How many o.w.l did you get?" she asked me.

"I got 9 outstanding." I told her proudly. She looked at me in awe.

"What are you going to do after Beauxbatons?" she asked me. I could see she was curious.

"I don't really know. I might become a Magizzologist, a healer, a professor or a dragon keeper." I told her grinning.

"A Dragon keeper!" she said looking shocked. I nodded.

"But you would get scared." she told me. I grinned.

"I wouldn't. They wouldn't hurt me. I'm what some would call a dragon speaker. When I sing they are calm and they listen to me. They would never hurt me." I told her. She was yet again looking at me in awe.

"I've read about that but only one family of veela had that power." she told me.

"Yes my family. The Defontaine's. None of my family since my great great great great great grandfather was a dragon speaker. I'm the only person alive in the whole world who can." I told her.

"That's amazing." she said. I grinned.

"Hermione who is this lovely lady?" two identical redheads asked sitting down opposite us. Ron sat down beside them looking grumpy.

"That's her sister." He huffed, stuffing a piece of bacon in his mouth.

"Really?" the twins said at the same time. I grinned.

"Yes, I'm Hermione's older sister. Jolie Defontaine." I said, they both took either of my hands and kissed my knuckles.

"It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady." they said at the same time and winked.

"He's Fred-" the one in front of me said pointing to the one sitting in front of Hermione.

"And he's George." the other introduced his brother.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you both." I said.

"Mum will love her-" Fred began.

"yeah so well mannered-" George said

"Wonder which one of us she'll try to marry her of to." Fred and George said at the same time. They looked at each other and said "Me!" at the same time.

"Looks like you'll be marrying both of us." Fred said and winked. I looked over at Hermione who shook her head.

"Mrs Weasley, their mother is a bit of a matchmaker. She is trying to marry all her sons of so she'll have more daughters." Hermione whispered in my ear. I chuckled.

"I've got to go see Harry. I'll bring him some food." she said carrying a stack of toast in a napkin.

"I'll see you later Hermione." I said. She smiled and left.

A few days later and I could see and from what Hermione told me. Harry and Ron still were not talking. I was walking down the stairs from the library when I nearly ran in to professor Dumbledore himself.

"I'm so sorry Professor Dumbledore. I hope you can forgive me." I said and bowed my head.

"It's fine. No blood no foul." he said. I looked up and saw his light blue eyes twinkling.

"You are miss Defontaine, head girl of Beauxbatons correct?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yes Monsieur." I replied.

"Madame Maxime was bragging about you. She said you were a year ahead, that you were a half veela and that you were a dragon speaker." he told, walking down the stairs with me. I nodded.

"Yes sir." I replied.

"I would love to see that one day apparently it is a beautiful scene when a dragon speaker sings to a dragon." he told me.

"Only a few have seen me do it. But they all said it was stunning." I told him truthfully.

"You are Miss Granger's half sister?" he bluntly asked me.

"Yes I am. She is a very sweet, loyal and smart girl." I told him. He nodded.

"I agree." he said as we reached the great hall.

"I hope we can speak again soon Miss Defontaine." he said and walked in another direction.

I was about to walk in to the great hall but waited when I saw Harry approaching.

"Hello Harry." I said, smiling. I could tell he was having a horrible time at the moment. He looked up at me shocked. Nobody has been treating him very nicely.

"Hi Jolie. How are you?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"I'm good. You?"

"I've been better." he replied. I looked over to where Harry was looking. I saw a girl begging Cedric to sign her bag. I shook my head.

"not in to that kind of thing?" he asked me. I grinned.

"Not my style to follow a guy around and beg for attention." I told him.

"That's because you don't need to." Harry said as we sat down at the Gryffindor table infront of Ron and Hermione.

"Doesn't need what?"Hermione asked, looking up from her book.

"To follow a guy around and beg for attention." Harry told her.

"That's true. They all follow you around and beg for your attention." Hermione said, smiling.

"Don't be silly." I told them.

"Look all the male population in this room are looking at you." Harry pointed out. I looked around and indeed all were looking at me.

"And look at all the flowers, love letters and chocolates you receive. It's all because they want your attention." Hermione finished. I just shook my head and mad a sandwich.

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Keep voting! **

**Charlie Weasley: 16 votes! **

**Oliver Wood: 8 votes! **

**Sirius Black: 13 votes!**

**George Weasley: 3 votes!**

**Harry Potter: 2! **


	8. Chapter 8

**The other miss Granger**

**Chapter 8:**

Harry Potter was waiting with one of his best friends, Hermione Granger well his only one at the moment for potions class. He couldn't help but cringe at the sight of the Slytherins with their horrid badges. "Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Harry couldn't help it, all the anger had been building up recently, he took out his hand and pointed it at Malfoy, who had pulled out his wand also. Everyone moved out of the way, not wanting to get in the way of either of the two boys. They both acted at the same time.

"Funnunculus!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy. Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles - Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up. Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!"

Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average - were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir -"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"- and he hit Goyle - look -"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference.".

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

"Excuse me!" a voice said loudly from the end of the hall, the one that Hermione had just went down. Everyone turned around and saw Jolie Defontaine, she was wearing her Beauxbatons uniform and her jet black hair was falling down her back nearly touching her waist in loose curls. She was pissed of Harry realised as she stomped over towards us, her strange yet beautiful eyes were darker and she was glaring at Snape. Harry and Ron shared a look, then gulped.

"What are you doing down here?" Snape drawled out. She just glared at him harder.

"I was coming down to ask my sister something." she said. H raised an eyebrow.

"Sister?" he repeated the word. Obviously Snape hadn't heard yet.

"Hermione Granger." she said, looking him straight in the eyes, she didn't even flinch. Amazing. Harry saw Snape look around quickly for conformation. He saw Draco step back that must have been enough for conformation.

"She's not here." Snape said lowly.

"Oh I know, I just happened to run into my little sister. Who told me everything. So I hope Mr Malfoy will be receiving detention and that house points will be taken of from Slytherin." she told him. Snape looked outraged.

"Who do you think you-" Snape began, before she cut him of.

"Are I'll have to speak to Professor Dumbledore when I have tea with him later." she told him. Harry saw her smirk slightly and couldn't help but think she would have been in either Slytherin or Gryffindor if she had came to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons.

Snape went paler than usual and glared at the beautiful girl who just glared back not even flinching.

"Detention Mr Malfoy and 50 points from Slytherin." Snape hissed through a clenched jaw. Jolie changed in a second, she smiled brightly, her eyes becoming lighter.

"Thank you Professor." she told him as she was about to walk away she turned back around and smiled at Harry and Ron.

"I'll be talking to Dumbledore about those badges Malfoy" she said and walked away. Ron was looking at her in awe.

"She's my new hero." he said. Dean, Neville and Harry nodded.

"I think I'm in love." Seamus said staring after her.

"INSODE NOW!" Snape shouted. They all rushed inside the classroom.

Jolie was now sitting in Professor Dumbledore's office drinking tea and talking. He had told her all about Hermione, Ron and Harry's adventures. She must admit Jolie felt terrible that Hermione was petrified in her second year, if she was there she could of kept Hermione safe.

"I actually wish to ask a favour of you." Professor Dumbledore said, setting his cup of tea down.

"I'll do anything to help." she told him. He nodded, smiling and his eyes twinkling.

"What is said can not leave this room." he told her. She nodded and said "Of course sir."

"I wish for you to escort the Weasley children down in to the forbidden forest. In there, there is their one of their older brother's Charlie. He is here with the dragons." Dumbledore told her.

"Dragons are here? For what reasons?" she asked him, setting her tea cup down. He smiled gently.

"They are for the first task. But I know the Weasley children would enjoy seeing their older brother but I fear of them falling harms way. But if you accept to go with them it would please me greatly. You could help the trainers. Apparently the dragons haven't been settling in very well." he told her. She nodded. Just then a phoenix flew through the window. It handed Dumbledore a letter before staring curiously at Jolie. It then flew over to her, for a brief second it's eyes changed purple. If caressed her cheek with it's own in a sign of affection before going to sit on it's stand. Dumbledore watched it happen curiously.

"Fawkes seems to like you." he told her. She smiled before replying.

"He is a beautiful creature."

"Do most creatures act that way with you?" Dumbledore asked her. She nodded.

"Before Fawkes interrupted us. I was asking if you would help with the dragons." Dumbledore said watching her closely. She nodded and smiled.

"I would love to help." she told him. He smiled.

"Well then tomorrow morning meet them in the great hall at eight." Dumbledore told her.

"Of course sir. Goodbye professor." she said and left his office.

The next morning at eight o'clock sharp, Jolie was waiting in the great hall sitting with Ginny. Five minutes later George, Fred and Ron arrived.

"Jolie!" they said shocked.

"Are you the one escorting us?" Ron asked her. She nodded and smiled.

"Come on. You guys are late." she told them. As they walked into the forbidden forest they all talked and joked about.

"Hey guys!" a man, Jolie presumed was Charlie Weasley, one of the Weasley older brothers. He was tall, six foot something and he was well built. She could tell through his tight t shirt that he had a six pack. He was handsome, dark red hair, a shade darker than the rest of the Weasley's and navy blue eyes. He was extremely handsome Jolie thought.

Charlie Weasley was helping with the Hungarian horntail when he was told that his family were here. So he went over to greet them.

"Hey guys!" he said as he spotted them. He smiled until he spotted her, she was standing in between Fred and George. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was tall, around 5 foot 8 or 9, long legs, a tiny waist, slim and great sized boobs. Don't look at me that way, I am a grown man after all. Her face was like a piece of art, natural dark pouty lips, long thick eyelashes framing the most strange eyes he had ever seen. The were strange yet stunningly beautiful. A strange purple colour with blue swirls they were so bright. Charlie then decided that these were the most stunning eyes he had ever seen. Her hair was a jet black colour, nearly reaching her waist in loose curls. Charlie couldn't help but stare, he saw the looks Fred and George gave him. He snapped out of it and smiled at the young woman.

"Hi I'm Charlie Weasley." he said holding out his hand. She took it, he held her hands up to his lip and kissed he knuckles lightly. He saw her blush lightly.

"I'm Jolie Defontaine." she told him. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"Defontaine as in the Dragon speaker?" he asked her. He knew that the Defontaine family were a long line of veela's in which one could control a dragon when he sang. So she must be part veela no wonder she's so beautiful. She nodded.

"My great great great great great grandfather, Antoine." she said. Charlie couldn't help but stare at her in awe.

"Come see the dragons." Charlie said grinning. As he pulled them towards the closest one, which was a the Hungarian horntail. Ron nearly fainted. It all happened in seconds. The horntail went mad. Someone must have been to close to her eggs. The horntail had clawed someone and had burnt somebody else's arm. It was screeching loudly as everybody ran about mad. Suddenly the screeching stopped. Everybody stopped, confused. Charlie looked at his brothers and sister to see if they were alright, but they were staring at the horntail as was the everybody else. Charlie must admit the sight was shocking. Jolie was staning, stroking her horntail's head, singing in a different tongue, he could tell it wasn't French. Then it dawned on him, she was a dragon speaker. Charlie watched as the horntail snuggled closer to her as it fell to sleep. When the dragon was asleep Jolie kissed it's head and walked back towards us. Everybody was looking at her in shock. I looked at the other dragons to see they to had fallen asleep.

"Your a dragon speaker?" I asked her. She nodded. All the rest of the trainer came and introduced them self and asked her questions. I went back to stand beside my family.

"Bloody hell." Ron said, staring at Jolie.

"Nice looking ain't she?" Fred and George asked him. Charlie couldn't help but blush.

"You mean bloody gorgeous." he told them. They both grinned and nodded.

"That was the most amazing thing I ever saw!" Ginny said, like Ron still staring at Jolie.

"I know." I sighed, looking at her. Charlie missed the look his 4 siblings shared.

"She's your ideal woman ain't she Charlie-" George began, grinning like an idiot.

"Stunning, long legs and can talk to dragons" Fred finished for him, the same expression on his face. Charlie glared at them.

"So how do you guys know her?" I asked them curiously.

"Remember how Hermione found out she had a half sister who went to Beauxbatons?" Ron asked me. I nodded, until I understood.

"Her?" I asked them, they all nodded.

"You know what that means Ron?" I asked him, he shook his head.

"Hermione is going to be very beautiful one day." Ron looked at me, he had gone completely red, the same colour as his own hair.

"It's time to go you four." Jolie said, walking towards us.

"it's near lunch time then we can all go to hogsmead." she said. I hugged all my siblings. Jolie kissed my cheek.

"If you need any help with the dragons just send me an owl or something and I'll come down." she told me. I nodded and thanked her.

"I'll see you soon Charlie." she said and walked back to Hogwarts with four of my younger siblings.

I touched my cheek, the one she kissed and smilied. One of the other trainers my friend, Michael stood beside me and whistled lowly.

"That is one hell of a woman." he said, grinning. I nodded.

"She's what we need. Do you think we can bring her back to Romania with us?" he joked.

"I wish." I told him and smiled.

**YAY, Charlie and Jolie finally meet! Thank you all for all the amazing reviews! **

**Charlie Weasley: 22 votes.**

**Sirius Black: 17 votes.**

**Oliver Wood: 11 votes.**

**George Weasley: 3 votes.**

**Harry Potter: 2 votes.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The other Miss Granger**

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, I've recently been in hospital to have my appendix removed and I lost my memory stick with the next four chapters so I have rewrite them all.**

**Chapter 9:**

Jolie Defontaine was walking towards the library thinking of a certain red head she had met the day before, for some reason she just couldn't get him out of her head. She hadn't been watching where she was going until she bumped into someone, she dropped her books and stumbled backwards until she felt two strong arms around her waist. She put her hands on the persons chest to steady herself. She looked up and saw bright grey eyes.

"We have to stop meeting this way Miss Defontaine" Cedric Diggory said looking down at the beautiful student from Beauxbatons. All the male population have been talking about her, in his dorm room the boys talked about her. When he had told them the time they had first bumped into each other they had all stared at him in pure jealousy. All the girls hated and admired her at the same time if that was even possible.

"I agree Mister Diggory." she said grinning, Cedric Diggory was very handsome but there was something missing. Her mind then went back to the red haired dragon keeper from the day before.

"Please call me Cedric." he said and grinned. He was flirting with her.

"Only if you call me Jolie." she replied, no harm in flirting back. She thought to herself.

"You going to the library?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm meeting with my sister. I'll see you later, Cedric." she said and smiled. Cedric watched her walk away with a dreamy look

In the Library she saw Viktor Krum sitting by himself in a corner. Jolie smiled and walked over to him.

"Viktor Krum, after all this time I would of thought you would of least stopped and said hello. After all I am slightly hard to forget and we did have a nice chat after the match." she said and smiled. Vikotr looked up from his book, looking shocked. He gave a little smile.

"Forgive me Miss Defontaine I thought you would of forgotten about me and you are right it is very hard to forget seeing as most of castle talks about you. Some boys from my school have already sent you letters and flowers." he told her with his strong Bulgarian accent. Jolie laughed.

"You can call me Jolie, didn't I tell you that the first time we met." she told him. He nodded.

"Jolie, sorry I'm late!" Hermione said rushing over to her. She stopped when she saw Viktor.

"Sorry was I interrupting something?" she asked. Jolie saw the look Viktor gave Hermione, interesting she thought.

"No it's fine Hermione. Hermione this is Viktor Krum and Viktor this is Hermione Granger, my little sister." she introduced them. Viktor looked slightly shocked but then again most did when they found out the rumours were true.

"I have to go, I'm having tea with Professor Dumbledore." Jolie said.

"Again?" Hermione asked, giving her a confused look. Jolie nodded.

"Professor Dumbledore is a very interesting person I enjoy his tales. Hermione maybe you could help Viktor find books that he needs or anything." Jolie said and rushed out. She went straight to Dumbledore's office.

"Hello Professor." she said smiling. Fawkes flew over to her and sat on her shoulder.

"Hello Fawkes." she told the bird and gave him a treat, he nipped her ear in a sign of affection and returned to his stand.

"Hello Miss Defontaine." Professor Dumbledore said from his seat, watching curiously as Fawkes admired the young dragon speaker.

"I'm afraid we won't have time for our tea today. The dragons have been rather uneasy and the judges wish to know if it were possible for you to help during the first task. We do not wish to see any of our students in danger. But because Mr Crouch does not believe you are a real dragon speaker, the judges wish to see it with there on eyes." he told her. She nodded.

"I do not want anyone to be hurt so of course I'll help. Our the judges waiting for us now?" Jolie asked.

"Yes, lets go see these dragons. I actually haven't had the chance to see them up close yet and thank you Miss Defontaine." he said.

"Any time Professor."

As they reached the middle of the dark forest they saw the judges all standing as far as they could from the dragons.

"This is the girl?" Barty Crouch asked, eyeing her.

"She is." Madame Maxime said standing behind the girl.

"I'm Ludo Bagman."a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, Jolie recognized him as the head of the Department of magical games and sorts.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." She said and shook his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, it's not everyday you meet the only dragon speaker in the world." he told her.

"We don't know if that's true." Crouch interrupted. Jolie glared at him.

"Jolie helped us with the dragons yesterday. The horntail got a little out of control." said one of the trainers, if she recalled correctly his name was Michael.

"Really?" Ludo asked, his eyes wide in amazement and grinning like a fool. He reminded her slightly of the Weasley twins who both now claimed she would have to marry one of them.

"Can I go see her again? She has a quite interesting mind." she asked the trainer. Who stared at her in awe and nodded.

"Go ahead." he said watching as she approached the large and vicious dragon.

Albus Dumbledore watched her walk towards the Hungarian Bontail, his eyes twinkling. She walked over calmly and completely normal as if she was just walking in to the great hall. There wasn't any fear or hesitation. As she went closer he saw the dragon stop and stare at her. Gazing at her like it loved her. She reached the dragon and held out her hand, the dragon lowered its head so she could touch its face. He had never seen something so interesting as he watched the young woman stare into the creatures eyes and then she began to sing. It was a slow and beautiful sound, it was in the ancient veela language he was sure of it. The dragon surprisingly purred like a cat and snuggled closer as the young woman wrapped her arms around it. When she was done she smiled at the dragon and kissed it's head. The dragon then went towards it's eggs and wrapped itself around them to protect them and drifted of to sleep.

Albus looked at Crouch and Bagman. The former was just staring with his mouth hanging wide open and Bogman was watching in awe and curiosity. Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he saw Charlie Weasley a former student at Hogwarts staring at the beautiful young woman. She must of noticed to as she approached him. She took his hand and brought him right up to the dragon which still was asleep. Albus smilied, Mrs Weasley would be pleased he mused.

"Why didn't the ministry know of this?" Crouch asked interrupting Albus's thoughts. He just turned around and gave him a small smile.

"Her mother did not wish to share her gift." Madame Maxime replied sternly. Crouch gave her a cold look.

"And why not?" He asked with a light sneer on his face.

"Perhaps Miss Defonaitine's mother wished for her to have a normal childhood and not chasing after dragons at the request of the ministry." Dumbledore replied. Crouch just glared at the older man.

"I would wish to speak to this mother of hers." Crouch said sternly.

"I'm afraid that's impossible her mother died this summer." he replied.

"Weatherby- I mean Percy give us a moment in private." Crouch said harshly to his assistant who nodded.

Percy Weasley made his way other to his brother and Miss Defontaine who were now standing in a safe distance from the dragon.

"Charles it's been awhile." Percy said to his brother. Charlie glared at his brother, the twins had told him how up himself he has been lately.

"Hey Percy. This is Jolie Defontaine, Hermione's sister." Charlie told his younger brother. Percy looked slightly shocked but quickly hid it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Defontaine. I'm Percy Weasley." Percy said and shook her hand.

"Your brothers did say that you worked for the ministry. Do you enjoy your job?" She asked curiously. Percy smiled at the beautiful woman who asked about his job.

"Yes very much. Are you thinking of getting a job in the ministry when you leave school?" Percy asked. Jolie shook her head.

"No. I was actually hopping to be a dragon keeper. I wish to study maybe write a book about their behaviour." Jolie said and smiled. Percy looked at his older brother who grinned.

"Maybe you could come to Romania. You'd love it there." Charlie told her. She smiled at him and blushed slightly.

"I'll look into it." she told him and grinned. Charlie couldn't help but grin at her like an idiot. Percy started at his brother and wondered how he and Bill always got the girls.

"Jolie it iz time to go back to ze school." Madame Maxime said mentioning for her star pupil to come with her.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the first task. They asked me to be with you guys just in case." Jolie told Charlie.

"Then promise me you'll stick to me. Wouldn't want you getting hurt." he said and then blushed.

"That and mum would kill me if I let you get hurt she sees you as her new daughter." Charlie quickly said, still blushing.

"It was nice to meet you Percy." she said and shook his hand again.

"You fancy her." Percy suddenly said as they both watched the young woman walk away.

"Do you blame me?" he asked Percy.

"True." Percy muttered, staring after her as she went.

The following morning the atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons enclosure though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there.

"Will you sit by me or do you have to sit with your school?" Hermione asked her older sister as they walked down towards the dragon enclosure.

"I was asked to stay with the dragon keepers so that I could be there just in case there's a problem and so I can help with the dragons." Jolie told her, she saw the look Hermione gave her.

"Don't worry Hermione I'll be fine and I'll make sure Harry is to." Jolie said and put her arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Thanks." she said in a whisper. Jolie kissed the top of her head.

"Oh there's Charlie." Jolie said as she saw Charlie wave at them.

"Be careful please." Hermione begged and hugged the older girl.

"I promise." Jolie said and kissed Hermione's forehead before going towards Charlie.

"She looks worried." He said, looking over at Hermione.

"Wouldn't you be if for example Ron was up against a dragon?" Jolie asked him. Charlie nodded in understanding.

"She's worried about you to." he told her.

"I know." Jolie whispered and smiled.

As Harry walked in to the tent he was greeted by Bagman.

"Well, now we're all here - time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them - "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different er varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too.. . ah, yes... your task is to collect the golden egg!"

After each one of us pulled out a mini version of the dragon we would be facing.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? I don't want any one to worry. The dragon keepers will be close by just in case and we also have miss Defontaine who is the only dragon speaker helping and will be with the dragon keepers."

Harry had to admit he was a bit shocked no one had told him that, did Hermione know? Harry looked at Fleur to see her sigh in relief so she must know that Jolie was a dragon speaker. He then looked at Viktor and Cedric who both clearly looked shocked.

Harry felt sick as he waited his turn to face his dragon.

After Harry had finally got the golden egg the fastest he might add.

Harry saw the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Horntail he saw Jolie hugging the dragons head and immediately calmed it down, and, over at the entrance to the enclosure, Professor McGonagalh, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying to meet him, all of them waving him toward them, their smiles evident even from this distance. He flew back over the stands, the noise of the crowd pounding his eardrums, and came in smoothly to land, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks. . . . He had got through the first task, he had survived.

After Harry was in the first aid tent when Ron and Hermione burst in. Ron had apologized and Harry had forgiven him.

"You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground. . . turned it into a dog. . . he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well - the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away and probably wouldn't have if it hadn't of been for Jolie she's amazing! And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire - she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum - you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs - they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them. And Jolie went of to comfort the poor thing you should of seen the look she gave Krum. If I was him I would of pissed my pants."

After receiving the scores Ron and Harry saw Charlie and Jolie.

"You're tied in first place, Harry! You and Krum!" said Charlie Weasley, hurrying to meet them as they set off back toward the school. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened - but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah – and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes.. . . Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."

"You did great Harry." Jolie said and hugged him. Harry smilied.

"So did you. I didn't know there was such things as dragon speakers." Harry commented.

"I'm the second one there has ever been." she told him and grinned. Harry and Ron looked at her in awe.

"I'll see you soon Jolie. If I don't see you before I leave I'll send you an owl." he said blushing and he kissed her on the cheek before rushing of. Jolie blushed.

"My brother fancy's you." Ron stated. Which made Jolie blush more.

Ron said he would wait and so did Jolie seeing as she wanted to wait for Fleur as he went to the champions tent.

Fleur, Cedric, and Krum all came in together. One side of Cedric's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was presumably mending his burn. He grinned at Harry when he saw him.

"Good one, Harry."

"And you," said Harry, grinning back.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon. "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth - but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open. . . see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg - because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then! And don't forget to thank Miss Defontaine!"

Harry left the tent, rejoined Ron. He saw Fleur and Jolie hug each other close and nearly crying. Harry thought that maybe Fleur wasn't that bad. He could tell she deeply adored and loved Jolie as a sister.

**Thanks for the voting! I think everyone knows who won! **


	10. Chapter 10

**The other Miss Granger**

**Chapter 10:**

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Harry had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; he always did, of course, because the alternative was usually going back to Privet Drive, but he had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, however, everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball or at least all the girls were, and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night...

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else. . . . Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular. Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you. Look there's Jolie!" Ron said, waving at Jolie she seemed to have a bigger fan club than Krum.

"Hey guys. Still looking for dates?" She asked them. They both nodded.

"I bet loads of guys have asked you." Ron said in awe at her.

"27 to be exact and then there was like 15 that asked me by letter but I don't count those." she told them.

"But who are you going with?" Harry asked her. She smiled a shrugged.

"Number 30. But don't tell anyone." she said and winked before walking of to join some girls from Beauxbatons who immediately followed her.

"I'm going to tell Charlie just to make him miserable so it will make me feel better." Ron told Harry grinning. Harry chuckled.

Jolie was walking out of the great hall after having dinner with Hermione. During dinner a Slytherin boy had came and asked her to go to the ball and she had politely turned him down and told him one of her friends thought he was cute and to ask her tomorrow at which he had smiled and thanked her. Walking out of the great hall one of the boys from Drumstrang had asked her and she refused again. The next guy she would say yes unless he was younger than her of course.

She was walking towards the library when she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw the handsome Cedric Diggory jogging towards her, leaving his friends and fan club behind.

"Cedric I haven't seen you in awhile. I see that your cheek has gotten better." she said and smiled at him.

"It would have been a lot worse if you weren't there. You were amazing!" he told her and smiled.

"Thank you." she said and blushed at the compliment.

"I've been trying to build up the courage to talk to you and my mates said that if I could take on a dragon that I should be able to talk to you. I'm just going to spit it out. Will you go to the ball with me? It's okay if you don't want to. You probably already have a date but I thought it was worth a go-" Cedric said, not being able to stop talking and rubbing his neck. Jolie silenced him by putting a finger on his lips which made him blush a deep red.

"I'd love to go to the ball with you Cedric." she told him, after all he was number 30. He smiled brightly.

"Really?- eh I mean thanks sorry I mean great." he stuttered making him adorable. She giggled.

"I'll talk to you later I've got to go finish my potions assignment." he said and then quickly kissed her on the cheek before going back to his friends who all high-fived him or patted him on the back. Jolie couldn't help but chuckle at the amount of death glares she was getting from all the girls.

Later on Jolie was in her room with Fleur, normally the students were five by a room but Fleur and her were Madame Maxime's star students she wouldn't want them to be uncomfortable.

"So I was talking to Roger he has loads of friends if you don't have a date for the ball. You know you are to picky. I admit Mr Dragon was very sexy but he's in Romania." Fleur said in French as she brushed her hair.

"I told you I would say yes to number 30 and I did." Jolie told her as she was writing a letter to Charlie.

"Really? Who?" Fleur asked curiously.

"Cedric Diggory." she replied. Fleur grinned.

"Oh he is a very nice looking young man." Fleur said, wiggling her eyebrows. Causing both her and Fleur to giggle.

"Goodnight!" Jolie sang as she slipped into her queen size bed.

"Goodnight and have sweet dreams about a very sexy dragon keeper!" Fleur said and giggled.

"Good morning!" Jolie sang as she sat down beside Hermione and kissed her cheek.

"Is it true?" Ron asked her. Jolie looked at him curiously as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Is what true?" she asked as she took a sip.

"Your going to the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory?" Ron asked.

"He was number 30!" Jolie told him and grinned. Ron shook his head.

"We'll I got a date as well!" Harry said happily. This caused Ron to choke on his bacon.

"Who?" he demanded, going red.

"Cho." Harry said, with a dreamy look. Jolie giggled.

"Now if you will all excuse me I have class." she said and kissed Hermione on the cheek before leaving the hall, most boys staring after her as she left.

"I'm going to tell Charlie he'll be so jealous. Fred and George have already told mum that Charlie fancies her." Ron said and grinned. Hermione and Harry shared a look, both knew that Mrs Weasley was going to be so happy.

Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

"What's up, Ron?" said Harry, joining them. Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face.

"Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?" said Harry.

"He - er - just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny. She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.

"You what?' said Harry.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people - all around - I've gone mad - everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall - she was standing there talking to some girls from Beauxbatons - and it sort of came over me - and I asked her!"

Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then - I dunno. I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

"This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone – well, except Neville. Hey - guess who he asked? Hermione!"

"What?" said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news."Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the colour coming back into his face as he started to laugh.

"He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff- but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville ... I mean, who would?"

"Don't!" said Ginny, annoyed. "Don't laugh -"

Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.

"Because - oh shut up laughing, you two - because Ron's just been turned down by the girl he asked to the ball!" said Ginny.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Hermione loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."

But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.

"Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl. . . ."

"Oh well spotted," she said acidly.

"Well - you can come with one of us!"

"No, I can't," snapped Hermione.

"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has . . ."

"I can't come with you,because I'm already going with someone."" said Hermione, now blushing.

"No, you're not!You just said that to get rid of Neville!"Ron said.

"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again.

"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"

And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.

"She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.

"She's not," said Ginny quietly.

"Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.

"I'm not telling you, it's her business," said Ginny.

"Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just -"

"I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with - with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought. . . well. . . I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.

Harry had just seen Parvati and Lavender come in through the portrait hole.

The time had come for drastic action.

"Wait here," he said to Ron, and he stood up, walked straight up to Parvati, andsaid, "Parvati? Will you go to the ball with Ron he's to shy to ask?"

"Yes, all right then," she said finally, blushing furiously. Harry thanked her and smiled before going back to Ron.

"Sorted." he said and grinned.


	11. Chapter 11

**The other Miss Granger**

**Chapter 11:**

Despite the freezing cold weather, Jolie Defontaine was enjoying her time at Hogwarts very much.

She was still getting very angry death glares from Cedric Diggory's fan club but this was something she learned to ignore a long time ago. Since the holidays had started there were less students seeing as most of the students under the fourth year went home seeing as they weren't going to the ball.

On Christmas day Jolie woke up smiling, Hermione told her to meet her by the Gryffindor common room at 9.

"This is for you." Fleur said suddenly beside me. I looked at the gift and smiled. I felt under my bed until I pulled out hers. I gasped as I opened her present. It was a beautiful white gold bracelet.

"It's a charm bracelet." Fleur said smiling. On the bracelet there was a little ballet dancer.

"The first time we met at ballet lessons." I said and smiled. She nodded.

"You can add for years." she said smiling. I jumped on her and hugged her tightly.

"Open yours!" I said.

"There beautiful!" she gasped. The ear rings were diamonds shaped as a snow flake.

"I will wear them tonight! Now hurry up and get ready Hermione will be waiting for you. Be back here soon but so we can have a girly day and bring Hermione with you!" Fleur said pushing me of the bed still giggling.

When I got to the Gryffindor common room I was jumped on by the twins.

"You'll never guess what our owl showed up with this morning!" Fred said, grinning.

"It was a gift from our dear older brother Charlie-" George began, grinning like his brother.

"-And it was addressed to a Miss Jolie Defontaine." Fred finished for him, handing me a soft parcel. I blushed and thanked them.

"Merry Christmas!" Hermione said, hugging me. I grinned and hugged her back.

"This is for you!" I said handing her a parcel from my never ending bag. Hermione thanked me as she opened it. It was a gold locket she opened it and smiled inside there was a photo of Jolie and Hermione and on the other side was a photo of Hermione, Ron and Harry. Jolie handed out the rest of her presents, giving George a book about muggle pranks, Fred a book of wizarding pranks, Ron a chudley cannon's T-shirt, Harry a cleaning and fixing kit for his firebolt and Ginny a book of spells and charms for hair and make-up.

Jolie had received a book about dragons and their history from Hermione, From Fred and George she received a box of their famous canary creams and Ton-Tongue Toffee's, Ron gave her a box full of chocolates, Harry gave her a famous muggle book called Pride and Prejudice and Charlie gave her a cuddly dragon toy at which the twins sent her a wink.

She also received a yellow jumper with a blue J on it from Mrs Weasleys, which made all the Weasley's blush.

They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.

They went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione and Jolie chose to watch Harry and the Weasleys' snowball fight rather than join in, and at five o'clock Fleur showed up and pulled both of them away.

There was no Christmas tea today, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to the common room. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs littering the bottom other picture.

"Lairy fights, that's the one!" she giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let them inside.

Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all of them looking very self-conscious, but none as much as Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else. In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs. It worked fairly well; at least he was now lace-free, although he hadn't done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed as the boys set off downstairs.

The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colours instead of the usual mass of black. Parvati was waiting for Ron at the foot of the stairs.

She looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists.

"You - er - look nice," Ron said awkwardly.

"Thanks" she said, eyeing Ron's dress robes.

The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. He spotted Cho looking very pretty walk towards him. Her robes were a cream colour and her hair was up in some fancy up do.

"Hi Harry." she said and blushed.

"You look really pretty." he told her and blushed the colour of his best mates hair colour.

Ron bent his knees slightly to hide behind Harry, because Fleur Delacour was passing, looking stunning in robes of gray satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. When they had disappeared, Ron stood straight again and stared over the heads of the crowd.

"Where is Hermione?" he said again.

A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry's opinion made him look like a vicar. Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy's arm. Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-colored boulders, and neither of them, Harry was pleased to see, had managed to find a partner.

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't know. Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights - meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

Cho smiled at him, she and Harry said, "See you in a minute" to Ron and Paravati and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through. Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim other hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could

hardly take his eyes off her. Cedric was standing staring at the young woman who just walked through the oak doors. Even Harry couldn't help but stare, Jolie was even more beautiful than usual. She was wearing a silvery- white robes made of silk, it clung to her body like a second skin. Her hair was up in a very fancy up do with a few curls escaping. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and from the looks of it nobody else that hadn't went into the great hall were just staring at her as well. Harry noticed that when she walked towards Cedric, the slit in the side of her robes showing the pale long leg and silver heels.

"You look stunning." Cedric said as he kissed her hand, making Jolie blush. Harry looked away feeling that he was looking in on a private moment. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped.

It was Hermione.

But she didn't look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow - or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling - rather nervously, it was true - but the reduction in the size of her front teeth was more noticeable than ever; Harry couldn't understand how he hadn't spotted it before.

"Hi, Harry!" she said. "Hi, Cho!"

Cho was gazing at Hermione in unflattering disbelief. She wasn't the only one either; when the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her.

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people .He caught

sight of Ron and Parvati as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Parvati was looking sulky.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry suddenly realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Harry picked his up uncertainly and looked around there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"

And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Harry glanced up at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining - surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? But for once, Hermione didn't seem to be thinking about S.P.E.W. She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.

It now occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.

"Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," he was telling Hermione. "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these - though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains -"

"Now, now, Viktor!" said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes, "don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy ., . one would almost think you didn't want visitors."

"Well, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"

"Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor," said Dumbledore amicably. "Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon - or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder."

Harry snorted into his plate of goulash. Percy frowned, but Harry could have sworn Dumbledore had given him a very small wink.

Meanwhile Fleur Delacour was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Roger Davies.

"Come on Fleur Hogwarts isn't that bad. I absolutely adore it here!" Jolie said smiling.

"I'm glad to hear that Miss Defontaine. Well in the future you will have to come and visit. And while I remember the dragon keepers from Romania would love for you to join them after you finish school." Dumbledore told her.

"Thank you professor" Jolie said beaming at him.

"Oh and Fawkes misses you, so you must drop by for another cup of tea." he told her and smiled.

"I will." she told him and went back to talking to Cedric.

Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; he kept calling her "Hermy-own."

"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly.

"Herm-own-ninny."

"Close enough," she said, catching Harry's eye and grinning.

When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The "Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.

Harry tripped over his dress robes as he stood up. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (he could see Seamus and Dean waving at him and sniggering), and next moment, Cho had seized his hands, placed one around her waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Harry thought, revolving slowly on the spot. He kept his eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby - he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet – and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.

Cedric felt like he was the luckiest bloke in the great hall, here he was dancing with the most beautiful girl here. He could see and feel the looks of jealousy. When he had told his friends they had all told him that he was a very lucky man and he couldn't help but agree as he looked at his date. She was an amazing dancer, the silver of her dress made the blue swirls in her strange yet beautiful light purple eyes stand out. He saw one of his friends look at him and wink, he couldn't help but grin back.

Out in the entrance hall, Harry and Ron saw Hermione saying good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship. She gave Ron a very cold look and swept past him up the marble staircase without speaking. Harry and Ron followed her, but halfway up the staircase Harry heard someone calling him.

"Hey-Harry!"

It was Cedric Diggory. Harry could see Jolie waiting for him in the entrance hall below.

"Yeah?" said Harry as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him.

Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, who shrugged, looking bad-tempered, and continued to climb the stairs.

"Listen ..." Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Well... take a bath, okay?"

"What?"

"Take a bath, and - er - take the egg with you, and - er - just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think. . . . Trust me."

Harry stared at him.

"Tell you what," Cedric said, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go ... want to say good night -"

He grinned at Harry again and hurried back down the stairs to Jolie.

Cho came over towards Harry and smiled gently. Harry smiled shyly back. The night had be wonderful, he and Cho had talked, danced and gotten to know each other. The only problem of the night had been Ron and Hermione arguing. Cho leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'll see you soon Harry." she told him before rushing of. Harry grinned and touched his lips. He looked over at the entrance hall to see Cedric lightly kiss Jolie on the lips, he saw her eyes widen and she blushed deeply.


	12. Chapter 12

**The other Miss Granger**

**Chapter 12:**

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry that Jolie and Fleur had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears. Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.

As they went down to the great hall they saw Jolie and Fleur walking in to the great hall, arms entwined. It still made Hermione laugh as all the boys in the room watched them closely. Fleur kissed Jolie on the cheek before going to sit with Roger her date from the ball at the Ravenclaw table. Jolie elegantly walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down beside Hermione and kissed her on the cheek and said "Good morning!" As she was pouring a cup of tea she looked at Hermione and asked "How was your evening with Mr Krum?"

Hermione blushed before saying "Wonderful" then looking at Ron "Although there were a few problems." Jolie turned and looked at Ron "I heard about that from the twins."

It was now Ron's turn to go bright red. Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"And what about you Romeo? I saw Cho giving you a little kiss." Jolie said turning to look at Harry who now went bright red.

"She did?" both Ron and Hermione bursted out looking at their best friend. Harry quickly looked for an escape and said to Jolie "And I saw Cedric kiss you!"

"And? I'm nearly an adult, I'm single and Cedric is a lovely young man." she said, calmly talking a sip from her cup of tea.

"I'll see you three later. I'm going to find a book in the library." She said standing up. "And by the way Harry, Cho really likes you." she winked at him and left. The three best friends watched as she left and as Cedric Diggory got up from the Hufflepuff table and followed Jolie out the door.

"I'm going to tell Charlie. He'll be so jealous." Ron said, grinning at his two best friends. Suddenly the twins popped up on either side of Hermione.

"It's our turn to make Charlie feel miserable-" Geroge began, "-So we're telling him-" Fred said.

"-But you can tell mum." they finished together before running of. Hermione shook her head before asking Ron "How do you know that Charlie fancies my sister?" curiously wanting to know.

"I have 5 reasons actually." he said proud of himself. He held up one finger " speaks to dragons." two fingers, "2. He keeps sending her letters." three fingers, "3. He got her a Christmas gift." Four fingers, "4. Have you seen your sister?" at that one Harry nodded in agreement.

"And? All the things you said could just be that their friends." Hermione told Ron. Ron shook his head and said "You haven't let me finish." he held up five fingers "And reason number five is he talked about her in his letter to mum."

"Oh." Hermione said, wide eyed. There was an unspoken rule in the Weasley family never write about a girl to Mrs Weasley unless you'd like to marry her because with Mrs Weasley it's bound to happen.

"She's probably already planning the wedding." Ginny said sitting down beside Hermione who said "Merlin that's why she asked me to invited Jolie over for the summer."

After the rest of the holidays had been lovely, Ron and Hermione were friendly again, Cho had said yes to go on a date with Harry to the next Hogsmead weeked and Cedric and Jolie seemed to be getting closer. And so when the first day of the new term arrived it was quite sad to end the holidays.

Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach, as though he were carrying that around with him too.

Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.

When they arrived at Hagrid 's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow.

"Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.

"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.

Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harrys ears. He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?

"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy.

"I do mind, though," said Harry hotly. "What's up with him?"

Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn.

"Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it. ..."

She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. The moment Professor Grubbly-Plank was out of earshot. Harry turned to Ron.

"What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt - ?"

"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."

"What d'you mean?" said Harry sharply.

Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint.

"There you go," he said. "Hate to break it to you. Potter. ..."

He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty. DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE, Harry read the article and saw red.

Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open.

"How did she find out?" he whispered.

But that wasn't what was bothering Harry.

"What d'you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Harry spat at Malfoy. "What's this rubbish about him" he pointed at Crabbe "-getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!"

Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself.

"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. "Half-giant. . . and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young. ... None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all. ... They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha. ..."

"You-"

"Are you paying attention over there?"

Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it. Harry was so angry that the Daily Prophet article shook in his hands as he turned to stare unseeingly at the unicorn, whose many magical properties Professor Grubbly-Plank was now enumerating in a loud voice, so that the boys could hear too.

"That was a really good lesson," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni -"

"Look at this!" Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose.

Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's.

"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"

"No," said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."

"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.

"We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her. . . ."

"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."

"Like you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione.

"We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"

"What's going on?" Jolie asked suddenly sitting down beside Hermione. Harry passed her the Daily Prophet as Jolie read the article about Hagrid her eyes widened.

"Why that little toerag!" she hissed as she stared at Draco.

"We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back . . . you do want him back?" he shot at Hermione.

"I - well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once - but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare. Harry looked at Jolie who nodded , she and Hagrid had hit it of fantastically when they first met.

_Flashback_

_Harry, Ron, Hermione and Jolie were standing in front of Hagrids little hut waiting for him to __answer the door. _

"_I wasn't expecting guests today." he said as he opened the door._

"_Sorry Hagrid but I wanted you to meet my sister." Hermione said waving her hand at Jolie. Hagrid's eyes widened when he saw Jolie._

"_Come in! Come in!" he said, rushing them all into his home._

"_I'm Hagrid." he said holding out his hand to Jolie, who shook it while smiling, "I've heard a lot about you Professor. I'm Jolie Defontaine." _

_Hagrid blushed before saying "Just call me Hagrid." _

_After that they had talked about all sorts of creatures while drinking tea. Thank Merlin Harry had remembered to remind Jolie about Hagrid's cakes and his cooking._

_End of flashback._

So that evening after dinner, the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered.

"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"

Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.

"What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"

"You wouldn't understand, Hermione." Jolie whispered as she walked of. All three best friends gave each other a confused look.

But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity.

"Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering to Harry whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. "Missing the elephantman? But it's disappointing all of those filthy half-breed's won't go away isn't it?"

"What do you mean by that?" Harry demanded. Malfoy sneered at him before replying "Granger's sister is a filthy half-breed as well."

Harry glared at Malfoy and was about to pull out his wand but he saw Pofessor Grubbly-Plank staring at him. Harry never told Hermione what Malfoy said afraid that it would upset her.

There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Harry had asked Cho to come along with him, Hermione and Ron. She had agreed and Harry couldn't be happier.

As they entered the three broomsticks they saw Jolie sitting at a table with Cedric Diggory. Jolie waved them over, smiling. As they sat down with their butterbeers and talked.

"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!"She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. It was indeed odd. Harry thought, that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. He watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw the group, and stood up.

"In a moment, in a moment!" Harry heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub towards the group, his boyish grin back in place.

"Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry.

"Cedric how have you been? I see the burn healed well still as handsome as ever." Bagman said, shaking Cedric's hand. "On a date I see oh-"

"Miss Defontaine! It's lovely to see you again. I never had a chance to thank you for helping out with the dragons. So thank you very much." he told her.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly.

"eh- sure." Harry said and followed him.

"What did he want?" Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down, everyone looked at him curiously.

"Nothing." he said as he took a sip from his butterbeer, giving Hermione and Ron a look that meant I'll tell you later.

"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione changing the subject, sipping her butterbeer.

"What were they doing here?"

"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."

"Maybe Percys poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

"Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look, and said, "Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch. . . . They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," said Cedric. "Maybe they need an interpreter."

"Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"

"Ha, ha, ha," said Hermione sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"

"No," said Harry and Ron together. Which caused Cho, Jolie and Cedric to chuckle at the glare Hermione gave them.

"Well, the're quite capable of dealing with wizards," said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves."

"Uh-oh," said Ron, staring at the door.

Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something

."... didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, doyou think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights . .. what nonsense ... he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman . . .' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo - we just need to find a story to fit it -"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly.

A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.

"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join- ?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously.

"What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"

Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows.

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-"

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.

Rita Skeeters smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know. Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"

Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade.

"You horrible woman," she said, through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, wont they? Even Ludo Bagman -"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl... not that it needs it -" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair. This made Jolie stand up, she looked downright scary in Harry's opinion.

"Don't talk to her like that." she hissed at the older woman. Rita Skeeter stared at her over her glasses before smirking "If it isn't Miss Defontaine. I think this shows that the rumours are true."

"What rumours?" she demanded, glaring at the older woman who answered "That Miss Granger here is your sister of course."

"Everyone knows that." she said dismissing it with a wave of her hand as she stepped closer to the woman. "So I'm sure you've heard other rumours If you come anywhere near these kids I'll make a dragon track you down and let it have it's fun with you." she said grinning evilly. Harry and Ron looked at each other and gulped.

"Cedric let's go somewhere else. I suggest you four leave as well." Jolie said staring at them. Cedric stood up and offered her his arm which she took and they left. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Cho followed closely as they left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.

"She'll be after you next, Hermione and Jolie as well," said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.

"Let her try!" said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid ..."

"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," said Cho nervously.

"She's right, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -" Ron said.

"You should go enjoy the rest of your day with your friends Cho." Harry nervously said, Cho nodded, understanding and kissed him on the cheek. Before quickly leaving.

"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face. "And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!"

Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.

"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -"

The door opened. Hermione said, "About t-!" and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.

"We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice.

"Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh . . . um ... okay," said Hermione.

She, Ron, and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended off Fang and looked around. Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.

"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry. Hagrid looked up.

"'Lo," he said in a very hoarse voice.

"More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, staring at Hagrid. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow - sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore.

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said. Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling.

"Er-right," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant-Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that woman-wrote about you?"

Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.

"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -"

"Not all of 'em," said Hagrid hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan me ter stay."

"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!" said Hagrid croakily.

"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!"

"And Jolie! She's half veela! Me and her were walking past Malfoy when he called her a filthy half-breed, she just hung him out the window- er I mean she..." Hermione said looking at Dumbledore.

"I'm still deaf Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. Hermione blushed.

"An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery. . .."

"Come back and teach, Hagrid," said Hermione quietly, "please come back, we really miss you."

Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eightthirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."

Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore . . . great man . .."

"Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"

"Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Ar, he's righ', o' course - yeh're all righ' . . .I bin stupid . .. my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'..." More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here..."

Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth - he looked hardly older than eleven.

"Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid croaked. "Dad was dead

chuffed ... thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum ... well, anyway. Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really... but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year. Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job . . . trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances ... tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren' ... well... all tha' respectable. But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh . . . there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say - I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones . . . I'll give her big bones."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously; Harry would rather have taken fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than admit to Hagrid that he had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd.

"Yeh know wha, Harry?" he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it... an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!" He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love. Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all... yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"

"Great," said Harry. "Really great."

Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile.

"Tha's my boy. . . you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all." he then turned to Hermione and asked "Jolie really do that to Malfoy?"

she grinned and answered "Oh yes, she also threatened to send a dragon after him if she ever said anything like that about you or her. She also said that to Skeeter just before."

Hagrid grinned at that "She's a good girl that one."


	13. Chapter 13

**The other Miss Granger**

**Chapter 13:**

Just as it had before he faced the Horntail, time was slipping away as though somebody had bewitched the clocks to go extra-fast. There was a week to go before February the twenty-fourth (there was still time) . . . there were five days to go (he was bound to find something soon) .. . three days to go (please let me find something... please).

With two days left. Harry started to go off food again. The only good thing about breakfast on Monday was the return of the brown owl he had sent to Sirius. He pulled off the parchment, unrolled it, and saw the shortest letter Sirius had ever written to him.

Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl.

Harry turned the parchment over and looked at the back, hoping to see something else, but it was blank.

"Weekend after next," whispered Hermione, who had read the note over Harry's shoulder. "Here - take my quill and send this owl back straight away." Harry scribbled the dates down on the back of Sirius's letter, tied it onto the brown owl's leg, and watched it take flight again. What had he expected? Advice on how to survive underwater? He had been so intent on telling Sirius all about Snape and Moody he had completely forgotten to mention the eggs clue.

As Jolie was walking towards the great hall she was stopped by Cedric Diggory, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Next Hogsmead weekend will you come on a date with me?" he asked her, Cedric and her have been getting much closer. She did like him, he was sweet, smart, kind, funny and handsome. They had already been on a date which was ruined when Skeeter had put her in a terrible mood. They had also spent loads of time in the library talking.

"I'd like that." Jolie told him. He grinned widely before kissing her on the cheek. They both walked in to the great hall. Nearly everyone stopped to look at them.

"I'll talk to you later." Jolie said, walking towards the Gryffindor table.

"Good morning." she said as she sat down.

"What did Cedric want?" Ron asked, stuffing his mouth with bacon.

"He asked me out on another date." she told him as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"He really likes you." Harry said, staring at the Hufflepuff table.

By the evening before the second task. Harry felt as though he were trapped in a nightmare. He was fully aware that even if, by some miracle, he managed to find a suitable spell, he'd have a real job mastering it overnight. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn't he got to work on the egg's clue sooner? Why had he ever let his mind wander in class - what if a teacher had once mentioned how to breathe underwater?

He sat with Hermione and Ron in the library as the sun set outside, tearing feverishly through page after page of spells, hidden from one another by the massive piles of books on the desk in front of each of them. Harry s heart gave a huge leap every time he saw the word "water" on a page, but more often than not it was merely "Take two pints of water, half a pound of shredded mandrake leaves, and a newt..."

"I don't reckon it can be done," said Rons voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There Just has to be!"

She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.

"I know what I should have done," said Harry, resting, face-down, on Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

"Yeah, you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron.

"Or a frog," yawned Harry. He was exhausted. "It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione vaguely, now squinting down the index of Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions. "Professor McGonagall told us, 've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office ...what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..."

"Hermione, I was joking," said Harry wearily. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas.

"Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Fred Weasleys voice. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up. Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised.

"Dunno ... she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," said George.

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry, who felt his stomach drop. Was Professor McGonagall about to tell Ron and Hermione off? Perhaps she'd noticed how much they were helping him, when he ought to be working out how to do the task alone?

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione told Harry as she got up to go with Ron - both of them looked very anxious. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," said Harry uneasily.

By eight o'clock. Madam Pince had extinguished all the lamps and came to chivvy Harry out of the library. Staggering under the weight of as many books as he could carry, Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, pulled a table into a corner, and continued to search.

Crookshanks crawled into Harrys lap and curled up, purring deeply. The common room emptied slowly around Harry. People kept wishing him luck for the next morning in cheery, confident voices like Hagrid's, all of them apparently convinced that he was about to pull off another stunning performance like the one he had managed in the first task. Harry couldn't answer them, he just nodded, feeling as though there were a golfball stuck in his throat. By ten to midnight, he was alone in the room with Crookshanks. He had searched all the remaining books, and Ron and Hermione had not come back.

"Harry Potter must wake up, sir!"

"Stop poking me -"

"Dobby must poke Harry Potter, sir, he must wake up!"

Harry opened his eyes. He was still in the library; the Invisibility Cloak had slipped off his head as he'd slept, and the side of his face was stuck to the pages of Where There's a Wand, There's a Way. He sat up, straightening his glasses, blinking in the bright daylight.

"Harry Potter needs to hurry!" squeaked Dobby. "The second task starts in ten minutes, and Harry Potter -"

"Ten minutes?" Harry croaked. "Ten - ten minutes?"

He looked down at his watch. Dobby was right. It was twenty past nine. A large, dead weight seemed to fall through Harry's chest into his stomach.

"Hurry, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, plucking at Harry's sleeve. "You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions, sir!"

"It's too late, Dobby," Harry said hopelessly. "I'm not doing the task, I don't know how-"

"Harry Potter will do the task!" squeaked the elf. "Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for him!"

"What?" said Harry. "But you don't know what the second task is -"

"Dobby knows, sir! Harry Potter has to go into the lake and find his Wheezy -"

"Find my what?"

"- and take his Wheezy back from the merpeople!"

"What's a Wheezy?"

"Your Wheezy, sir, your Wheezy-Wheezy who is giving Dobby his sweater!"

Dobby plucked at the shrunken maroon sweater he was now wearing over his shorts.

"What?" Harry gasped. "They've got. . . they've got Ron?"

"The thing Harry Potter will miss most, sir!" squeaked Dobby. "'But past an hour-'"

"- 'the prospect's black,'" Harry recited, staring, horror-struck, at the elf. " 'Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.' Dobby - what've I got to do?"

"You has to eat this, sir!" s queaked the elf, and he put his hand in the pocket of his shorts and drew out a ball of what looked like slimy, grayish-green rat tails. "Right before you go into the lake, sir - gillyweed!"

"What's it do?" said Harry, staring at the gillyweed.

"It will make Harry Potter breathe underwater, sir!"

"Dobby," said Harry frantically, "listen - are you sure about this?" He couldn't quite forget that the last time Dobby had tried to "help" him, he had ended up with no bones in his right arm.

"Dobby is quite sure, sir!" said the elf earnestly. "Dobby hears things, sir, he is a house-elf, he goes all over the castle as he lights the fires and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staffroom, talking about the next task. . . . Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!"

Harrys doubts vanished. Jumping to his feet he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, stuffed it into his bag, grabbed the gillyweed, and put it into his pocket, then tore out of the library with Dobby at his heels.

"Dobby is supposed to be in the kitchens, sir!" Dobby squealed as they burst intothe corridor. "Dobby will be missed - good luck, Harry Potter, sir, good luck!"

"See you later, Dobby!" Harry shouted, and he sprinted along the corridor and down the stairs, three at a time.

The entrance hall contained a few last-minute stragglers, all leaving the Great Hall after breakfast and heading through the double oak doors to watch the second task.

They stared as Harry flashed past, sending Colin and Dennis Creevey flying as he leapt down the stone steps and out onto the bright, chilly grounds.

As he pounded down the lawn he saw that the seats that had encircled the dragons enclosure in November were now ranged along the opposite bank, rising in stands that were packed to the bursting point and reflected in the lake below. The excited babble of the crowd echoed strangely across the water as Harry ran flat-out around the other side of the lake toward the judges, who were sitting at another golddraped table at the water's edge. Cedric, Fleur, and Krum were beside the judges table, watching Harry sprint toward them.

"I'm . .. here ..." Harry panted, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleurs robes.

"Where have you been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"

Harry looked around. Percy Weasley was sitting at the judge's table,Mr. Crouch had failed to turn up again.

"Now, now, Percy!" said Ludo Bagman, who was looking intensely relieved to see Harry. "Let him catch his breath!"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn't look at all pleased to see him. It was obvious from the looks on their faces that they had thought he wasn't going to turn up.

Harry bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath; he had a stitch in his side that felt as though he had a knife between his ribs, but there was no time to get rid of it; Ludo Bagman was now moving among the champions, spacing them along the bank at intervals of ten feet. Harry was on the very end of the line, next to Krum, who was wearing swimming trunks and was holding his wand ready.

"All right. Harry?" Bagman whispered as he moved Harry a few feet farther away from Krum. "Know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah," Harry panted, massaging his ribs. Bagman gave Harry's shoulder a quick squeeze and returned to the judges' table; he pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, "Sonorus!" and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them.

On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!"

He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minutes. He was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as he disturbed the water. Then, at long last, he heard a snatch of haunting mersong.

"An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took..."

Harry swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Harry swam on past the rock, following the mersong.

". . . your time's half gone, so tarry not Lest what you seek stays here to rot. ..."

A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Harry saw faces . . . faces that bore no resemblance at all to the painting of the mermaid in the prefect's bathroom.

The merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Harry as he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch him better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.

Harry sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another. Harry sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Ron was there beside Hermione who was between him and Jolie. There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made Harry feel sure that she was Fleur Delacour's sister. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.

Harry sped toward the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him, but they did nothing. The ropes of weed tying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy, and very strong. For a fleeting second he thought of the knife Sirius had bought him for Christmas locked in his trunk in the castle a quarter of a mile away, no use to him whatsoever.

He looked around. Many of the merpeople surrounding them were carrying spears.

He swam swiftly toward a seven-foot-tall merman with a long green beard and a choker of shark fangs and tried to mime a request to borrow the spear. The merman laughed and shook his head.

"We do not help," he said in a harsh, croaky voice.

"Come ON!" Harry said fiercely (but only bubbles issued from his mouth), and he tried to pull the spear away from the merman, but the merman yanked it back, still shaking his head and laughing.

Harry swirled around, staring about. Something sharp . . . anything . . .There were rocks littering the lake bottom. He dived and snatched up a particularly jagged one and returned to the statue. He began to hack at the ropes binding Ron, and after several minutes' hard work, they broke apart. Ron floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.

Harry looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. What were they playing at? Why didn't they hurry up? He turned back to Hermione, raised the jagged rock, and began to hack at her bindings too - At once, several pairs of strong gray hands seized him. Half a dozen mermen were pulling him away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing.

"You take your own hostage," one of them said to him. "Leave the others ..."

"No way!" said Harry furiously - but only two large bubbles came out.

"Your task is to retrieve your own friend . . . leave the others ..."

"She's my friend too!" Harry yelled, gesturing toward Hermione, an enormous silver bubble emerging soundlessly from his lips. "And I don't want them to die either!"

Jolie's head was on Hermiones shoulder; the small silver-haired girl was ghostly green and pale. Harry struggled to fight off the mermen, but they laughed harder than ever, holding him back. Harry looked wildly around. Where were the other champions? Would he have time to take Ron to the surface and come back down for Hermione and the others? Would he be able to find them again? He looked down at his watch to see how much time was left - it had stopped working.

But then the merpeople around him pointed excitedly over his head. Harry looked up and saw Cedric swimming toward them. There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched.

"Got lost!" he mouthed, looking panic-stricken. "Fleur and Krum're coming now!"

Feeling enormously relieved, Harry watched Cedric pull a knife out of his pocket and cut Jolie free. He pulled her upward and out of sight.

Harry looked around, waiting. Where were Fleur and Krum? Time was getting short, and according to the song, the hostages would be lost after an hour. The merpeople started screeching animatedly. Those holding Harry loosened their grip, staring behind them. Harry turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark. ... It was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself- but badly. The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes; the trouble was that Krum's new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Harry was quite sure that if Krum wasn't careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half. Darting forward. Harry hit Krum hard on the shoulder and held up the jagged stone. Krum seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed Hermione around the waist, and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with her toward the surface.

Meanwhile Cedric just reached the surface, he took a deep breath. Jolie immediately woke up and clinged to him, breathing hard. He pulled her with him towards the bank where the judges where they were immediately wrapped in thick blankets. Cedric grinned as everyone cheered. Cedric froze slightly when he saw Fleur but no sister. Fleur rushed towards Jolie and flung her arms around her.

"Gabrielle is still down there!" she sobbed in to Jolie's shoulder.

"Shhh she'll be fine don't worry." Jolie whispered, Madame Pomfrey came over and checked Fleur over to see if she was all right. Madame Pomfrey handed Jolie and Cedric a very hot potion.

Jolie spotted Viktor return to him normal self and pull Hermione up with him. As soon as Hermione reached the bank Jolie pulled Hermione in to her arms.

"I'm fine Jolie." she whined, Jolie looked down grinning at her "I know but it's my duty as big sister to worry about you." and then she kissed her forehead. As Hermione sat down with Viktor and Cedric. Jolie tried to calm down a hysteric Fleur but she to was worried for little Gabrielle.

Suddenly Jolie saw Harry reaching the surface with Ron and Gabrielle. Jolie saw Percy splashing out to meet them. Fleur and Jolie both took of running towards Gabrielle. They both hugged the little girl between them

"It was ze grindylows . . . zey attacked me ... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..." Fleur said sobbing. As Fleur and Jolie walked towards the rest of them, Madame Pomfrey rushed to Fleur to clean her cuts but she refused.

"Look after Gabrielle," she told her, and then she turned to Harry. "You saved 'er," she said breathlessly. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," said Harry, who was now heartily wishing he'd left all three girls tied to

the statue.

Fleur bent down, kissed Harry twice on each cheek (he felt his face burn and

wouldn't have been surprised if steam was coming out of his ears again), then said

to Ron, "And you too-you 'elped -"

"Yeah," said Ron, looking extremely hopeful, "yeah, a bit -"

Fleur swooped down on him too and kissed him. Hermione looked simply furious, but just then, Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows. Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

Applause from the stands.

"I deserved zero," said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head. Jolie squeezed her hand.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour."

Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd; Harry saw Jolie gice Cedric a smile. "We therefore award him forty-seven points."

Harrys heart sank. If Cedric had been outside the time limit, he most certainly had been.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Ron and Hermione both gave Harry half-exasperated, half-commiserating looks.

"Most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However . . . Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

Harry's stomach leapt - he was now tying for first place with Cedric. Ron and Hermione, caught by surprise, stared at Harry, then laughed and started applauding hard with the rest of the crowd.

"There you go. Harry!" Ron shouted over the noise. "You weren't being thick after all - you were showing moral fiber!"

Fleur was clapping very hard too, but Krum didn't look happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Harry to listen.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

"You done great." Jolie said to Cedric and pulled him down to kiss her, this get a few cheers from the crowd. As Jolie pulled back she saw the dreamy look on Cedric's face and whispered "Thank you." Madam Pomfrey began herding the champions and hostages back to the castle to get into dry clothes.


End file.
